If we only pray on our knees, we pray little

There are many types of prayer, personal, formal, structured and contemplative. Prayer is conversation with God leading to union with him. One should "put on God" so to say, incorporate the very meaning of our faith into your daily living and all that we do.

First we must start with the awareness that our very life and being is a gift from God and that our continued existence is a grace from God. Since God is our beginning, center and continued existence, it makes sense to say that all we do, think or say is either glorifying God or causing a gap in our relationship with him.

Even though formal prayer is good and holy, it is not enough. Our awareness of God must be placed into our everyday lives. To kneel in prayer giving glory to God then denying his authority within in humanity in one's civic or personal duties is a contradiction. Politicians who call themselves Christian (or any other God fearing person) and do not follow the ways of God in their public life are in error to what they claim to be their belief system. Not only are they liars before God, but also before humanity.

Prayer and belief in God is a lifestyle and a life choice, not a moment in time once a week or whenever. God is constantly communicating to us in the mere fact that we are still alive and not standing before him now trying to explain to him, why we didn't tell people about him when we knew better. By our lives, it is apparent that God is still giving us all another chance. If God is extending himself to us, why don't we extend ourselves to him by communicating our actions in witness to him?

I pray for all people throughout the day even when I don't know their names. Wherever you are, my prayer for you is with you now. It is my hope and prayer that I will meet you someday in heaven, for that is where I pray you and I will end up. There we all have eternity to know each other. Although I don't know your name, I know the things that hurt you such as pain, hunger, loneliness and despair. I know the things that attack you are bitterness, hate and revenge. I send you compassion, love and mercy in prayer.

I do not know the names of the muscles and bones in my body, but I know that I must care for them. So it is with you, the nameless in my prayers, I care for you because you belong to me through God. I care for you the only way I know how, through prayer and sacrifice and through trust that God knows you better then you know yourselves. He who knows the number of hairs on your head. He who can send his angels to you to protect you, he who can help you through anything.

Help each other as God has helped us all. Help each other get through this valley of tears that we live in until we all reach the place where every tear will be wiped dry. Be a prayer to those around you by your love of them.